Long Lake
The Long Lake is a swampy lake in the heart of Daventry surrounded by willows. In the novelization, it's location appears to be in the same vicinity of the swampy-lake (just north of the Gingerbread House), and south of the Woodcutter's Cottage. Incidentally, the longest lake in the game is actually the 'serene lake' to the north of the cottage. Background It once lay just south of the Woodcutter's Cottage and north of the Gingerbread House. The long lake was surrounded with moss-bedecked willows.KQC2E, pg 25 The trees were shelters from the aerial observations of the witch Dahlia. Some time later, it appears shifted to the north of congruence of rivers surrounding the Gnome Isle. It is apparently surrounded by willows on its southeastern bank. The Ancient Well appears to lie to the southeast of it, and a rock with a hole, a rotting stump (with what appears to be a log next to it) and Woodcutter's Cottage lies to the northeast. The witch's Gingerbread House lies somewhere to the east. Behind the scenes The Long Lake is a lake that appears on the map of Daventry in the King's Quest Companion 3rd edition (more clues appear within the novelization itself). This lake is difficult to locate within the actual game. Mainly because the in game the land marks are scattered about in quite a different set of locations in between and around the game's seven lakes. The longest lakes in the game take up two screens (including the "serene lake", the "beautiful little lake", and the "clear mountain lake"). However, the clear mountain lake is confirmed to be Lake Maylie in the KQ1 novelization, and the beautiful little lake is named the Beautiful Lake in the KQ1 manual. The "clear blue lake" appears within two screens (three screens in the remake) but only a small edge of the lake appears in the Old Stone Bridge screen, most of the screen is taken up by the stream/river that flows under the bridge (it is not much bigger than the most of the single screen lakes). The longest lake in both KQ1 AGI and KQ1 SCI is the 'serene mountain lake' which is about a third longer than the Beautiful Lake. Both halves lie one screen north of the woodcutter's house, it actually lies south east of the Ancient Well (one screen north of the western edge of the lake), and due west of the castle (two screens). The Beautiful Lake ("beautiful little lake") is actually about a third shorter than the 'serene lake'. It is not located anywhere near the configuration seen in the King's Quest Companion map. However, the clue in the novelization of KQ1, in which Graham heads directly north of the Gingerbread house, before reaching a 'long lake surrounded by moss-covered willows", suggest that the long lake may be the "swampy lake" one screen north of the gingerbread house, and south of the woodcutter's cottage. But the lake is not particular long (though it is the screen to have a moss-covered tree, albeit in the center of the lake). The 'serene lake' also lies two screens north of the 'swampy lake', past the front door of the woodcutter's cottage. The lake may technically be long from north to south as it appears in KQ1 AGI (as opposed to east to west). The artwork in KQC however, places the length from east to west, and places the location of the lake to the north of the Gnome Isle, and the River Fools. There are no lakes with discernible willows in KQ1AGI. Willows do appear in KQ1SCI (mentioned near the Goat Pen screen) and can be seen near the swampy lake. Although the companion's story predates KQ1SCI and is based on the AGI version. The only moss covered trees in the AGI version are at the swampy lake. The swampy lake is specifically described as 'uninviting' in the remake. This may be an effect of the Magical Law of "Containment", or the just the fact that the map is highly stylized. Another possibility is that the map represents Daventry of KQ6 era, and the land has shifted again. On a somewhat related note, the landmarks of Daventry in KQ3 (Door into Mountain, Ancient Well, and Castle Daventry) are not in their same locations as KQ1, and Lake Maylie may actually have shifted south of Castle Daventry at the time of KQ5. Another possibility is that it's just another lake that wasn't seen during KQ1. References Category:Lakes Category:Places (KQ1) Category:Places (TKQC)